


Big Brother

by Voidspeaker (Cloudspun)



Series: OFFworld [3]
Category: OFF (Game)
Genre: Big Brother!Batter, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-14
Updated: 2013-08-14
Packaged: 2017-12-23 12:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/926426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudspun/pseuds/Voidspeaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when you get a stubborn human and an insufferable merchant together? They fight. A LOT. Sometimes to the point where a neutral-ish party has to go bring one of the two to a safe spot until things simmer down a bit.<br/>Which is where "Big Brother" Batter comes in.<br/>you'd think he'd be used to this by now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Brother

"Batter?"

"Zacharie, it's two in the bloody morning. You woke up both myself and Vader, you'd better have a **DAMNED** good reason for this."

"Silence is missing. She and I had a spat an hour or two ago, and I woke up to find her gone."

"...damnit. Let me guess, you want me to find her because I'm bound to her?"

"That and she was very angry with me. I'd rather know she was safe with you than not have a damned clue where she was."

"Fine. You owe me, merchant."

"I do indeed."

Batter dispelled the speaking orb with a sigh, and turned back to the Queen.

"Kiddo has run off... Zacharie was asking me to go find her. I'll be bringing her back here; she and Zacharie are fighting again." He explained softly, meeting Vader Eloha's tired gaze.

"With how much they fight, you'd think that they would fracture apart." She murmured in response, sighing. "Ah, well, who am I to judge? We have our spats too, and they raise the roof whenever they happen." She rose with a smile, walking over and embracing him. Batter held her tightly, thanking the heavens even then that she and Hugo had been returned to him, then let go and walked over to the closet.

"It storms, wherever she is. I don't know how long it'll take me to collect her, but I'll be back as soon as I can be." He promised, pulling on warm clothes to fend off the night's chill. He walked back to where his Queen stood, pulling her into a tight, if momentary, embrace.

"Be safe." The Queen whispered, pressing a ghost of a kiss to his cheek and pushing him towards the door.

\---

He found himself in the nature-park that was zone 13; rain was falling like the sky had been rent open, and the trickling creek that ran under the entrance to the park had become a raging torrent. Batter sighed, starting over the river and praying that neither he nor Silence became ill from rain and chill.

He found the girl curled up among the roots of one of the larger trees, soaked to the skin and shivering.

"Merde... you couldn't have chosen a dryer spot, chaton? It's bloody freezing out." He called, climbing up to sit next to her. She didn't respond, shrinking in on herself when he reached over to touch her shoulder.

"...mind telling me what's eating you, kiddo? You're giving me a headache with all the proxy-emotion." He commented gently as he rubbed her back. She took a sharp breath, and he felt a surge of sadness and self-hatred rush over the puppeteer-puppet connection.

"Oi. None of that." He chided, pulling her into a tight hug; he felt her shake harder, her shoulders quaking as she sobbed silently. "Let me in, Wren. I want to help you."

She stilled for a moment, and he felt her surprise.

You remember my real name?

"It was the sole secret you gave to me without any reason, chaton.  A name is something to treasure, particularly when it is otherwise unknown." He hugged her tightly. "That you trusted me with it spoke a great deal to me." He let her go and stood. "C'mon. We're getting soaked and you'll be lucky if you don't get sick."

\---

They arrived back at the castle in slightly more bedraggled condition, Batter carrying the half-frozen Player piggyback because she'd worn herself out before he'd found her. Vader Eloha had been waiting them in the entrance hall, hot tea and blankets waiting for each of them, and fresh clothes for the Batter.

"I'm sorry, young one. I wasn't sure if we had anything that would fit you."

"If It's alright, I should be ok just borrowing one of Batter's jerseys. It'll fit like a dress on me because he's so tall, but..." She let out a tired chuckle as the tall Guardian set her down and accepted the clothing change.

"That can be arranged." Eloha replied, a kind smile on her face. She had an Elsen fetch one of the jerseys, and a pair of loose pants, then directed the girl over to a spot where she could change away from prying eyes.

\---

Warm, dry, and still relatively awake, the Batter made his way from the kitchen to the library, where Eloha and Silence were sipping cocoa in front of the fire. The Player had calmed down from her previous breakdown, but she was still relatively quiet; it reminded him of how she'd been after the first Burnt they'd fought.

"Are you gonna be ok, Kiddo?" He asked softly, lightly resting his hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him and shrugged, giving a vague answer he couldn't quite pin down. He sighed, gently ruffling her hair and setting down beside Eloha with his own mug of cocoa, complete with marshmallows.

They sat in relative silence for a time after that, before Eloha rushed the dozing girl off to a guest room and Batter shuffled back to the kitchen and gave the dishwasher the three mugs, before making his way back to bed to grab what little sleep he could before dawn.

\---

Zacharie called again the next day, still slightly panicked.

"Is she alright? Did you find her? Merde, Batter, please tell me she's ok."

"Calm down, you masked idiot. She's here, she's fine. She's in a quiet state, but otherwise she'll be just fine. Just let her come to you this time."

"I let her come to me last-"

"No, you came over to get her after giving her one night to sleep the anger off. I'll bring her home once she's decided she can put up with you again." with that, Batter dispelled the speaking-orb, returning to his duties.

 


End file.
